We got to chat with Alex and this is what he had to say about the experience he had with his song Forever Yours and the events that followed its launch. Here’s what we got:

Alex Day

* You’ve been quite successful as a vlogger and musician for a while, but this is the first time you actually took on a mission as difficult as this (except reading Twilight). What brought this on? 

Alex: Well you should always aim high, I think. I didn’t actually expect the Christmas Number One – I said in my very first video about it, ‘we probably can’t do this’. But it’s fun to be part of the Christmas race, I miss that battle between all the top acts fighting for the top spot.

* Forever Yours is not what people would expect to come out around this time of the year and be so successful, how come you chose to do something other than songs involving love under the mistletoe and father Christmas? Why Forever Yours?

Alex: Yeah, I’ve seen people be a bit weird about that, saying “you should have released a Christmas song”. The whole point for me was that it isn’t a Christmas novelty thing, it’s just my first single, and I wanted to push it for success beyond just that one week. It was an investment move, I suppose.

* I have been following your timeline on twitter, you’re drawing in quite a crowd. Do you think it’s a reaction to the bad music we’re “graced” with on a daily basis or just love for the underdog? 

Alex: Thank you! I think it’s a couple things: interest in seeing how far an unsigned artist can go without any tricks except good music and a receptive audience, coupled with the fact that I’m very honest on Twitter and will continue to be so. But yes, most music is shit isn’t it?

*  There is a strong and strange phenomenon going on on twitter now, you actually got your followers to gift the song to people less fortunate and it’s actually working. How does it make you feel? It might sound like you should lie on the couch to answer this one.

Alex: It’s a shame, I think, that selfless generosity is referred to as a “strange phenomenon” in this day and age! It’s a wonderful thing, and it started because I was doing it – a couple people said their parents weren’t letting them buy the song because they didn’t ‘trust iTunes’ or something stupid like that, so I gifted it to them as gifting a song still helps for the chart. And from there I had people requesting the song but also a lot of people offering to gift it to others, so we set up a hashtag and they worked it out from there.

* There are several different version of Forever Yours going around and all of them have made the charts, do you have a favourite out of all of them? And why are there so many version?

Alex: Yes, the fifteen versions combined to one single chart place which is a useful little loophole in the UK charts, so that’s the reason for the number of them, but I didn’t release any that I wasn’t proud of as alternate versions in their own right. My favourite is the one that my friends Michael and Bill recorded – they did a dramatic reading of the song,  similar to William Shatner’s ‘Common People’ cover.

* The video…just the video. It’s quite different from what we see on TV, no flashy effects or big names directing it, but it’s still awesome. Who came up with the idea for it? And speaking of the video, how come it’s on Charlie’s channel and not yours?

Alex: Thank you I’m very proud of the video. It was Charlie’s idea, after asking me what the song was about and trying to get that across. That’s the reason it’s on Charlie’s channel – it’s Charlie’s video, he made it himself so he deserves to showcase it on his page. It also means he gets as much out of it as me, because he gets the subscriber gain and I get the exposure of the music. It’s something I hope we’ll be able to do again with future singles.

Alex Day

* The money you’ll be making from selling the song will go to World Vision, is Karma keeping you on top? You’ve been involved in several other charity events, any particular reason you chose World Vision this time?

Alex: World Vision is always the charity I’m most loyal to because they flew me out to Zambia for two weeks last year to personally observe their work in the field. I made a few videos about it and loved the experience of being out there. And yes, I’m sure it does make people feel a little better about supporting me. I’m really not in this for fame or money, I just want my music to be heard and enjoyed.

* You are the first unsigned artist to get this far, considering the competition you’ve had, you’re doing great. Would you like to become a signed artist? Join a label? Or would you like to keep doing your thing with little to no outside involvement?

Thanks – I’d like to keep doing my thing my way, but it’d certainly be nice to have a team of people helping me to do it better and with more money. I’d sign to a label if I was sure that I could still make every decision about my career on my own, I’m not against it – as I said, my biggest joy is that people enjoy my music, and being with a label would certainly help more people to reach my work.

* Any advice to future artists who might be looking at you for inspiration? 

Alex: Yeah, get off your arse and get known! Most artists settle for just putting a song out, they put it on YouTube, they moan that it doesn’t get as much views as they like, but they’re not doing anything to help – for the last month I’ve been non-stop ringing press people, newspapers, TV shows, music websites, radio, all to try and bring exposure to Forever Yours, saying “this is my story, let’s talk about it”, and you have to do that stuff. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. And work out what your story is – for Forever Yours my story was “unsigned artist running for Christmas Number One”, which is a good story. You need to find something unique that will make people want to share your story with other people.

* Ok, question time over, what would you like to tell your fans? I’ve seen on the trending topics you went across the borders, people from all over the world are listening to you so what is the one thing you would like them to know?

Alex: I’d like them to know that I’m grateful, that I will keep them honestly informed on all the major decisions regarding my career and that you made my Christmas

Visit Alex Day’s Official Website and/or Official Twitter.

EV: Welcome to Entertainment Vine, Steve. Thank you for taking the time to discuss Music Saves Lives and Supa Pirate Booty Hunt with us.

SS: Thank you so much!

EV: To begin, would you share a little about how you became involved with animation? Were there any specific cartoons that inspired you as a child?

SS: Wow, so many cartoons I loved growing up including all the Disney classics movies, Disney Afternoon including Darkwing Duck (that’s why Cpt Zack Stevers wears a purple cape), Looney Tunes, Woody Wood Pecker, Transformers, GI Joe, and Robotech. Of course, the biggest influence on me was The Simpsons.

Supa Pirate Booty Hunt started as a skit on my internet college radio show at WVAU American University in Washington, DC. I was the general manager of the radio station and wanted to inspire my fellow students to try and take their shows seriously. So I started this skit called “Storytime with Steve Sievers” where I did these voices of a pirate and turtle going on different adventures each week on my show. The skit became such a hit but I didn’t realize it until the summer of 2004. I used to own a clothing line called Level 27 Clothing with my best friend Billy Martin from the band Good Charlotte. I went on the whole Vans Warped Tour in 2004 having a booth for Level 27. I was so surprised that so many people came up to me in cities all across North America telling me how much they loved the skit. It was in Vancouver Canada, on a Vans Warped Tour date, that a girl asked me to record her cell phone voicemail greeting in the Daniel the Turtle voice that I was like struck by lighting, I have to do something with this silly skit! When it came for me to decide on what to do my grad school thesis project on, I thought to myself “well I plan my day around on when The Simpsons comes on and still love animation, why not turn my radio skit into a cartoon show?” My journey into animation began!

Steve Sievers and Dahveed Kolodny-Nagy

EV: And what a journey it has been! How did you begin collaborating on Supa Pirate Booty Hunt with Dahveed Kolodny-Nagy?

SS: After I graduated college in August 2005, I moved to North Hollywood to try and find some animator/artist to team up with and help bring my cartoon to life. I went through four different animators and was about to give up on the whole thing. My friend Jason from college told me his friend Jeff worked with this animator/artist named Dahveed that was going through similar experiences as me and I thought this would be my last chance. So we were set up like a blind date and at first we both didn’t really trust each other because we went over our contract so many times. But the funny thing is that we became really good friends from it. We both share the same vision and passion for the project. We have been working together since 2007 and it’s been a great time.

EV: You and Dahveed have been guest panelists at a few conventions, what advice do you give aspiring animators?

SS: When I first moved to the Los Angeles area, everyone told me to pitch your concept right away. You don’t need any artwork or animation, just make some calls and get in there and pitch. Of course you can do that, but Hollywood gets pitches everyday, how can you stand yourself out from the crowd? My goal was always to build up the animation, self produce them, and create a following online. I’ve been in bands before and I have always treated the cartoon as one. To build a following you need to play live shows, right? Well, for cartoons you do conventions. So Dahveed and I have had a lot of booths at conventions and we have built up a following where we have been asked to do panels at conventions. Last summer I was a guest speaker on the cartoon workshop panel at San Diego Comic-Con. You can’t just create something and except people to find it on their own. You have to get out there and tell people about it. My advice is to produce some animation yourself. Even if nothing happens with it, like getting a TV deal, it is still an amazing feeling to see your characters come to life!

EV: I’ve noticed a lot of your fans wear a Daniel the Turtle necklace. How did Daniel find his way into the fashion industry?

SS: So when I had Level 27 Clothing, we made this necklace with Rusty from the band H2O’s company called Pnut Jewelry. Early this year I was at a Todd McFarlane signing at Golden Apple Comics and wearing my Level 27 Necklace. This guy said “nice necklace” and I replied “thanks, I helped designed it”. Then he replied “cool, I sculpted it”. Turned out his name was Oscar Ayotzintli and he used to work at Pnut Jewelry in New York City and just moved to Hollywood to get his own company Tlakuilo Kalli going. So I had Oscar sculpt and produce Daniel the Turtle necklaces. We have been selling them at conventions this year and now have them for sale online (you can buy them here). They make a great X-mas gift.

EV: Those would make the perfect gift! Captain Zack and Daniel the Turtle have set sail across the globe. Where is the most remote location you have been surprised to find fans from?

Tattoo of Captain Zack & Daniel the Turtle

SS: That’s hard because we have fans all around the world including Australia, El Salvador, UK, Brazil, and Sweden. We were actually in a documentary from there called Kree-ey-tiv-i-tee which means “creativity.” However the most surprised I’ve been is Kristin Miller from Maryland who got Cpt Zack Stevers and Daniel the Turtle tattoos on her leg.

EV: That is incredible how supportive your fans are. You support a non-profit organization called Music Saves Lives. Would you explain their outreach and how you became involved with them?

SS: Music Saves Lives is a non-profit that encourages young adults to donate blood and get rewarded with free music tracks, back stage passes, and more. Each blood donation can save up to three lives! They wanted to produce some PSA’s and go after the adult swim crowd. Music Saves Lives director Russel Hornbeck thought Supa Pirate Booty Hunt was the perfect fit. You can get involved in Music Saves Lives by finding a blood donation event near you or you can organize one yourself. Find out all the info at musicsaveslives.org.

EV: Your recent PSA for Music Saves Lives guest stars the band 3OH!3 leading to the introduction of your comic book on the Vans Warped Tour. Have you found that you are able to reach a different audience blending your animation into both the music and comic worlds? 

SS: Well since Music Saves Lives works with tons of bands, we wanted each animated PSA episode to include a guest star from a band. We asked 3OH!3 to be apart of our first animation because they were headlining the Vans Warped Tour 2011 and were big supporters of Music Saves Lives. Turns out it was an easy sell for them because they loved Supa Pirate Booty Hunt. The animated episode was featured on WarpedTour.com and 3oh3music.com with a lot of people commenting on how the cartoon made them decide to donate blood, which is amazing! Dahveed and I were guest at 4 Colors Fantasies comic shop for Free Comic Book Day festival and I thought to myself “why don’t we turn our animated PSA into a free comic book that Music Saves Lives can give out at events?’. Russel loved the idea and a month later we had our launch party for the comic book at Golden Apple Comics and also 10,000 comics were given out at every date of the Vans Warped Tour, San Diego Comic-Con, Anime Expo, Chicago Comic-Con, and Mid-Ohio Comic-Con.

Steve and his wife Chelsea at BIFF

EV: While folks were taking home your comic book you ended up taking home some very impressive awards. Congratulations on your recent six wins at the Burbank International Film Festival. Which categories did you win? Were you able to actually keep any of the awards?

SS: Thank you. I was so shocked. I would of been happy with one award but we ended taking home six awards for the following:

• Best Voice Acting
• Best Original Writing
• Best Art Direction
• Best Character Design
• Best Production Design
• Best Sound Editing

The best part is that the judges were Al Jean and Mark Kirkland of The Simpsons.  I even told them at the film festival how The Simpsons made me decide to turn my radio skit into a cartoon show. How neat is that!? I did keep two of the awards but I am ordering more so I can have one of each.

EV: You currently have a kick-starter campaign for a new Music Saves Lives PSA starring Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Will you tell the readers how they can become involved with this project and the amazing rewards you are offering?

SS: We feel so inspired after winning six awards at the Burbank Film Festival for our animated episode MSL PSA “Nurse Boobies Please” that we want our next episode “Metal in my Shell” with Dave Mustaine to be amazing! So we have decided to open it up to fans to help this life saving message and be rewarded with concert tickets, monster energy case, and even star in the animation along side Dave, Cpt Zack Stevers, and Daniel the Turtle. Find out all the details here (ends on December 1st).

Steve with Steve-O

EV: Are there any additional upcoming Music Saves Lives or Supa Pirate Booty Hunt celebrity collaborations you’re able to share with us?

SS: After we finish our Dave Mustaine episode, we will have future ones with Steve-O from Jackass and Chuck Billy from Testament. Hopefully, we’ll have time to finish some other Supa Pirate Booty Hunt episodes we have yet to complete.

EV: If Supa Pirate Booty Hunt were to become a live action film who would you want to play Daniel the Turtle and Captain Zack?

SS: Great question! Jason Mewes would make a great Cpt Zack Stevers and Danny DeVito would make a great Daniel the Turtle.

EV: Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Steve. We wish you luck on your kick-starter campaign and can’t wait to see who gets animated.

SS: Thank you!

Berkley Priest of Cata9tales

When Berkley Priest and Kenny (Kreator) Perkins met earlier this year, two extraordinary talents merged to form a powerful and raw band called Cata9tales. With undercurrents of love and hope they shy not from the truth, but rather embrace it with their whole being. Armed with brutally honest lyrics and an old-school beat, Cata9tales lights the path for all of those who have been lost or forgotten in the chaotic pages of life. Their debut album is available for FREE download at their official website www.cata9tales.com.

EV: Welcome to Entertainment Vine, Berkley. Thank you for taking the time to discuss Cata9tales and your debut album “Kick the Bad Love.”

BP: Absolutely. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me! We’re psyched that people are embracing the band and record the way they have, and we’re honored that you would ask to interview us.

EV: When did your love for music first begin?

BP: Oh, wow. I think it’s always been on my radar.  I mean, it’s on everyone’s – who doesn’t love music?  But I think I recognized pretty young that it was a viable form of expression for me.  I remember writing my first song in 5th grade…it was all about love and death.  Pretty heavy stuff for a 5th grader! I’m not a dark, heavy person, but maybe that’s because I get it out through my lyrics.  As long as I can remember I’ve been starting bands, long before I ever learned to play.  I was just in love with the idea.  My folks said I would run around with a guitar doing Elvis impersonations from the time I could talk.  I started playing drums when I was 12, and from then on I was either drumming, singing, or both.  I’m a much better drummer than I am singer, but that rhythm became ingrained in me, and I’m very theatrical – I love to perform – so my singing became rhyming, and the bass drum became my heart.  I’ve always been a music nerd, so has Kenny, the other half of Cata9tales.  We haven’t known each other that long, but the more we talk, the more I realize that we both come from very similar musical backgrounds.  We can have in-depth discussions about the tiniest nuances of obscure albums like only music nerds can do.  So the short answer is always, though it has reared its head to different degrees throughout my life.

EV: Is there a specific type of music that inspires you? Or do you have a go-to band you listen to while working on new material?

BP:  I actually try to stay away from listening to other bands when I’m writing.  I’m like a sponge, and if I’m listening to something for inspiration it will inevitably bleed over into whatever I’m working on.  I try to clear my head of all that and let all of my influences get a fair shot at my brain wave.  I don’t really listen to a lot of hip-hop for that reason, at least not when I’m writing and recording.  If I hit writer’s block I’ll go find a good singer-songwriter album, or a punk or metal-core record that will jar my senses.  When I was writing this record, I was listening to a lot of Every Time I Die, My Chemical Romance, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. It’s funny that the music I listen to the most is not at all the music I make, but I like to think it helps me come from an original angle. I’m not trying to be a rapper.  I’m a lyricist who rhymes and is influenced by hip-hop, but I don’t think I possess any of the traditional earmarks of a rapper.

EV: Not too long ago you were practicing law. Would you walk us through the incredible journey that led you to pursue music and create Cata9tales?

BP:  What a long strange trip it’s been (laughs).  Basically music has always been my first love, though I have been an actor, writer, graphic artist, producer and attorney at various stages in my life.  To me, being in a band or being a musician in today’s media age is the perfect platform to use all of those skills.  You have the music side, you have the promotion side, and you have the business side.  I lived in New York and Los Angeles for years as a total bohemian artist before I went to law school. I went to law school just to give myself some business sense because I was so far on the artist side that I had no idea how the machine really worked, and because I realized that if this was going to happen for me I was going to have to do it myself, and I would have to be armed.  I actually played in bands all through law school – I was not your typical law student at all!  I was vocalist for a band called Primitive Minds, kind of a jam-band, 311 type thing.  Law school added to my arsenal.  I never intended to be a courtroom lawyer, but when I finished school I found myself massively in debt, so I took a job in Virginia Beach working for an attorney that I actually knew from my hometown.  I wasn’t doing what I loved, but I was making a lot of money and thought, “well, I guess this is it, this is what I’ll do.  I’ve become the status quo.”  Honestly fear had a lot to do with it.  I was taking the safe path, which is not my style at all. God had other plans, but He was going to take me through a dark place to get there.

I had been practicing for about six months, working for my friend/law partner and renting a room in his house, when I came home one Monday afternoon and found him hanging from the ceiling.  No note, nothing – just the lifeless body of someone that I had spent the last six months working and living with, pretty much being around him 24/7.  I didn’t see it coming, and it hit me hard.  I think that’s when the seeds for my struggle with alcohol were planted, but it would take a while for them to fully blossom into a beast.  I poured myself into work, but I was a hot mess.  Soon after I met a girl who I had gone to high school with but never met before.  We met in church.  I was pressing in to God but definitely was not sold out, and she showed up in the right place at the right time.  I thought everything was going to be ok, that this was a life raft that had been sent my way.  We were married three months when she up and walked away, and told me God had freed her from the marriage.  I don’t want to go into that much further out of respect for her, even though she probably doesn’t deserve it.  She was just up and gone – refused counseling, refused to try to work it out, gone.  I was a mess – everything I had been through with the death of my roommate and all the heartache of her abandonment came crashing down on me.  I actually haven’t seen her since the day she walked out.  I handled the divorce.  But I was a disaster, and pretty soon I was a full blown alcoholic.  I was frightfully depressed and honestly, suicidal.  I crashed a car one night and got a D.U.I.  I went to rehab, got clean and went back to practicing law, but within the year I relapsed and got another D.U.I., though I wasn’t actually driving a car.  I was on a scooter of all things – I at least had the sense not to get behind the wheel, though I apparently didn’t have the sense not to get on the highway.  So there I was, a divorced, lonely, overweight, depressed, suicidal mess, and I was going to jail.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is rock bottom.

But something funny happens when you’re at your lowest point.  Just before I went to jail I felt the strangest calm wash over me, and in the strangest way I welcomed the experience.  I set goals for myself:  I was going to read the Bible cover to cover, I was going to lose 30 pounds, and I was going to reconnect with God.  I did all three.  Three months after I went in, I walked out of jail 35 pounds lighter, a Bible beaten and worn from being read twice, and a new spiritual focus.  I was facing four months on house arrest, but I had a new goal: I was going to release an album.

I had been playing in a rock band called All The Young Lions during the entire drunk, depressed period before I got locked up.  But I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to put my experiences into lyrics and I knew I had to perform them to bring them to life.  I’m not a great singer, but I can rhyme.  And by the grace of God I met Kenny right when I got out of jail.  So over the next two months, while I was on house arrest and working ten hour days doing construction, Kenny and I wrote and recorded what would become “Kick The Bad Love.”  By the time I was off house arrest the album was out and we were on our way.  So basically the music was always there, it was always a part of me, but it took going through that incredibly dark period to give birth to what I feel is the best musical partnership I have ever been a part of.

I am happier than I have ever been.  I have embraced the darkness and come out of it a better man, a better musician, and a firm believer in the power of God.  It’s only by God’s grace that I got through it and have done what I’ve done.  It’s by no strength of my own.  That calm I said I felt before going to jail – that was God preparing me.  And I knew I was going to do Cata9tales long before I went to jail – the seeds were there, in my head, though it hadn’t taken shape yet.

These songs are a catharsis.  I’m so thankful that I met Kenny when I did and that his music was SO good…it made it easy for me to focus on the words and create a soundtrack to redemption.  The songs have darkness, but they also are filled with hope.  God is in this project, I know that for a fact.  And I truly believe that as long as I keep Him first, this group will fly.

Cata9tales

EV: After pouring so much of yourself into each song, do you feel that this album has been your lifeline or more of a way to make amends?

BP:  I think it’s really a statement more than anything.  A statement that God is real, that you can overcome the darkness in your life if you give Him the reigns, and that there is hope, even when it seems that there is none.  You find hope in the strangest of places.  I found it in jail.  I couldn’t find it on my own – God had to get me alone to work on me.  I’m hardheaded.  He had to give me a spiritual whipping.

I wouldn’t call it a lifeline – God is my lifeline – but it is definitely an expression and a soundtrack to my life.  I don’t know where the music is headed from here.  We are definitely going to keep going, and I think we’re off to a good start.  As I grow as a person I want the music to grow with me. I have made amends, but the songs weren’t really about that.  They were about reaching out, and being vulnerable.  Showing all my warts and scars.  And showing that these scars are stories, and that if we press into God and hold onto each other we can all take the elevator to the top.  Above all, this album is honest.  That’s what my real goal was.  Honesty.  This album and this group are a part of me, and hopefully just a hint of what’s to come.

EV: You are living proof that people can change. What advice would you offer others who may be struggling with addiction or depression?

BP: Get help.  I tried to deal with it myself, and it only made the addiction and depression worse.  Be honest with people, but more importantly, be honest with yourself.  Honesty was never my strongest suit.  I always was kind of two people: the real Berkley, and the Berkley I led people to believe I was, the guy who had it all together, the man with the plan.  Going through what I did forced me to be honest.  Frankly, it forced me to deal with my own bullshit. And only by confronting the ugly truth and embracing it – being honest with yourself and everyone else – can any progress be made.  For me God was the integral part of that, a full surrender.  Only then did I start seeing and feeling results.  Some people don’t believe in that, but they have to figure it out for themselves.  Honesty, whether you believe in a higher power or not, is the first step to overcoming addiction and depression.  And let people help you.  It took a long time for me to get there.  But when you’re honest people will forgive, and people will help.  So start there.

EV: The first video off of Kick the Bad Love is “Loveletters, Bloodletters.” How does it feel to see your words and emotions come to life?

BP: It’s definitely kind of crazy.  When I was recording the record I wasn’t allowing myself to think further than that, to videos or anything like that.  But that’s why I said earlier that being a musician is the greatest platform to use all of my skills.  Kyle Shotwell and Atlantic Hush came to us and wanted to do the video, and we had been thinking about it anyway, so it was totally a God thing.  I’m quite pleased with it, especially for a first video.  I think we captured the vibe of the track, and it came together pretty quickly. It’s exciting, humbling and rewarding to watch it come to life, and to see other people connect and embrace it.

EV: You’re a drummer, vocalist, lyricist, poet, and artist. Do you have any other hidden talents?

BP: Nothing I can put in print (laughs).  I think all of my greatest skill sets lie in the arts.  I’m a lyricist first and foremost, and everything else falls under that umbrella or is an offshoot of that.  I do all of our design work, ads, t-shirts, posters, all of it, though I hope that this will blossom to the point that I can focus solely on the music and don’t have to handle all of that.  Kenny has his hands full with the music, which is the guts of the whole operation, and I handle the rest.  I’d love to pass off the promotion and business stuff to someone else so I could just write and record, but I’ve got to hustle to make that happen.  But it’s like Erma Bombeck said, when I reach the end of my life I want to be able to tell God that I have no talent left, that I used all that He gave me.

EV: If you could play poker with five musical greats who would you choose and who do you think would win?

BP: I definitely wouldn’t win.  I’m a terrible poker player.  But just for the experience I would say Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix.  I think Bob or John would win, because they seem the most shrewd, and probably because everyone else would be too drunk (laughs).  But those guys are legends, and all attacked music from different angles, but did it very intelligently.  I don’t remotely put myself up there with those guys, but I think we’re cut from a similar cloth.

EV: We look forward to hearing more from Cata9tales and hopefully you’ll be playing in a city near us soon.

BP: I’d like nothing more than that.  Thank you for your time and interest, and for digging into me so deeply.   I needed that.  See you soon…and go download the album free at www.cata9tales.com.  We’ll hopefully see you on the road soon!

 Loveletters, Bloodletters by Cata9tales

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kale Slade: After serving in the United States Air Force, what was the first step you made towards your dreams?

Nick Nicholson: Just got in the first group I could as a drummer and started paying my dues in the Phoenix club scene, with eventually crossing over into a front man position in a couple Rock Bands. After a few years I started getting tired of the direction Rock was going and with help from some friends showing me guitar chords here and there, taught myself guitar and fell into my roots of Country Music. All the while getting to know other musicians and the music scene in the area and just kept beating it up until people started noticing. I got noticed by a songwriter outta Nashville with ties to Phoenix and started networking with her. I cut my 1st demo then continued to beat up the club scene selling it outta the back of my car to pay for Airline/production fees in Nashville. I ended up using her (Nashville Songwriter) mother as an investor for my 1st full length CD and released my 1st single to National radio a few years later. With all the networking I have met some tremendous folks and am ready to release my 2nd full length CD as an Indie artist while with the single “Stronger Than Whiskey” released in early 2010 I am finally finishing up 2 years after the project started…..time=money=struggle= Indie Artist…….. I am still in pursuit of my dream as we speak.

Kale Slade: What songs are most inspired by your life?

Nick Nicholson: “Can’t Get Here From There”, “I Never Thought”, “Fall In Love Again” are ones that fall close to me because I co-wrote these songs with David Norris Cj. Watson. We were able to just scratch the surface of what is making me tick and survive in this crazy business. I look forward to the next creative session to see what transpires…

Kale Slade: How often do your songs tear at your heart-strings while you perform?

Nick Nicholson: Shoot man, every time I look out at an audience and see that they get it…..They understand and feel it…..The true meaning of the story being told to them, and the motors turning in their heads relating to it in their own ways is the best feeling in the world….That’s why we do what we do.

Kale Slade: Has music always been your passion?

Nick Nicholson: Absolutely! For instance: (This is where I blab on) I married my ex-wife because of an unplanned pregnancy of my son and was gonna do the right thing…..Two years later getting married to HER was the wrong thing to do. I was still a father to my son whether with her or not.. I finally met the right lady and remarried again. I took hold of my responsibility and stood by my family until the kids were raised while at the same time pursuing my dream, working full-time, gigging every chance I got… So yeah I would say my passion for music is substantially high considering a lot of folks give up on the dream due to the stress of juggling a family and a potential shot in the dark….haha! I still have High hopes! haha!

Kale Slade: What is your most cherished way of interacting with your fans and audiences?

Nick Nicholson: Just what I had said before about the fans “Getting It” looking out and seeing folks singing the lyrics of your songs back to you is an unreal feeling and reminds you of how important your message can be to some people and then in return how special they are to you for ‘Getting It”.

Nick Nicholson is in a new documentary called Off The Boulevard: http://www.offtheboulevard.com and Nick’s song Stronger Than Whiskey is now available on iTunes! You can listen to Nick’s music and get news updates at http://www.nicknicholsonmusic.com

Kale: Hello, I’d like to first thank you for the opportunity to interview you.

When did you first start getting into music?

Jesse: I’ve played with music my entire life. First started messing around playing on a little synthesizer that I still have, and then playing around by sliding down a mattress that I put on the stairs when I listened back to what I played. That was a good time… I played piano as a kid, got frustrated and begged to learn the drums which I then played for about 5 years. I then got frustrated with that instrument because I couldn’t sing and play at the same time. I eventually formed a band with two very good friends of mine, and we all played drums, so I learned how to play bass. I then got frustrated with that instrument and went out to play guitar. That’s how it happened. The frustration continues, but now I’ve realized that that’s just a part of being a musician – endlessly frustrating.

Kale: Who and what inspired you to get into it?

Jesse: My brothers inspired me to get into music. Both of them played guitar and when my brother Ari gave me his guitar, “my guitar” , I just went with it. Another guy who joined my band in High School, Noah, also introduced me to local LA bands like Kara’s Flowers, Phantom Planet, and the Tories. It was inspiring to see other kids just a little bit older than I was writing and playing their own songs. Nothing seemed cooler to me, and almost nothing still does.  That got me trying to write songs for the first time. We always covered other songs and never had any dreams of trying to write, but once Noah put it in my brain, I couldn’t stop. I’ll always be grateful to him for that…. or vengeful!!!

Kale: Did you always want to sing and play guitar, or has that varied through the years?

Jesse: Ya, I’ve always wanted to sing and play. I played in another band for a long time and I was always back and forth between singing and just playing guitar. We had a great great singer and songwriter and he wanted to sing his songs, as he should, but it was hard for me to play in a band and not sing, because that’s why I got into it in the first place. That being said, I was a really mediocre singer, and I’m glad I got to sing enough in that band to try and learn what was good and bad about my singing. Now, I’m lucky enough to be learning about my voice at a faster rate and trying to manipulate it the way I want it.

Kale: What are a few of your favorite artists/bands?

Jesse: You know that always grows along with being an evolving songwriter myself. Some of the staples have been Jon Brion, Gram Parsons, Jim Morrison, Billy Joel, and Glen Hansard. JB has been my favorite for a while now because he’s just a tremendous producer and player and writer – cole porter meets john lennon and mccartney. Every piece of his ‘puzzles’ help build the completed form in such a tremendously quirky way, while sounding wonderfully familiar. I think that’s the trick of the trade, or at least what I’m trying to go for. I’d love to write pop songs that feel familiar, but communicate the idea in an off-center way. One of the things I love as a listener is feeling comfortable in the sound of a song, but I like to be thrown off by the instrumentation and lyrics and singing. Something about that odd familiarity is very zen for me. I like all kinds of music and I like being surprised too, but what I consistently naturally go back to is the history of western pop songwriting and the new way its introduced year by year.

Kale: How long have you been playing?

Jesse: Since I was a little kid, but started taking it seriously about 10 years ago. I’ve only been playing by myself for almost 2 years now.

Kale: I saw a video of you and the band playing on stage and you looked focused. Is there anything you think about that gets you in a feeling of, nothing else is around, just the stage and the music?

Jesse: When the band is clicking, there is a wave of momentum that is unlike anything else I ever feel. It’s wonderful to have something I’ve created being played behind me and pushing me forward. I assume its much like how a surfer feels when he catches the perfect wave. I get lost in the moment and the freedom of it, and that I’ve created a space for everyone listening and my band to live in the moment at the moment. It’s a space where I feel most in control and once the song starts its an incredibly safe feeling – even though you’d think the opposite – like everything is being judged and I’m allowing the tender parts of myself out, but for some reason, I only feel that in between songs, and perhaps the first 10 seconds of a song, but when the band is rolling (and by the way, my band is really really really talented – just great players) the escape is tremendous and there isn’t a better feeling. I just wish I could experience it more often.

Kale: What new tracks will you be bringing to the fans?

Jesse: I’ll be releasing 3 tracks I’ve been playing live for a while now called HEY ANNIE, THIS CAR IS A BULLET, and ANYMORE. I’m excited to finally have them recorded and have the freedom to move on and record newer tracks. But these are some fan favorites, and people have been asking me to have them recorded, so Aaron Tap, my producer, and I just banged them out so we could just have em down. No matter what happens in this life, the most important part of my songwriting, is that I have as many of them recorded as honestly as possible so that I can have a clear reflection of what I’ve been through in my life. I started doing this solo thing really in that mindset- a scrapbook of what I believe as a 20 something, and as I grow and get older and evolve, hopefully my music will reflect that as well.

Kale: Do you know a release date for the new music, yet?

Jesse: I’m hoping we’ll release it on AUGUST 15^th at 5:46pm, just before dinner

Kale: How do you interact with your fans?

Jesse: I shun them. I say, “No pictures! No pictures!” Then I quickly run run run away from them in fear of their touch and bacteria!

Obviously, I’m joking… I am so grateful that people have the time to listen to my music and listen to me. I’m grateful that you’re doing this interview. There is so much media, so much art, so much music in this world, so anybody who finds the time to fall in love with new songs, new songwriters, new music is awe-inspiring for me and all I hope is that I can keep drawing that kind of passion out of other people and myself. So thanks so much… again. Thanks to you, and the person who’s reading this right now! Thank you!

Kale: How far do you want to take the music? Worldwide, nationwide?

Jesse: To infiniti and beyond! What other choice do I have?! Really, all I want to do is play in living rooms across the country. 20 person intimate parties or 2000 person theatres, I want people to feel like they are right up there with me experiencing the songs for the first time. I want people humming every song after they’re finished and wondering, how is he gonna make me hum another song again, and then somehow, I do it. That is my goal. Hopefully I get kind of close every once in a while. But it’d be great to organize my fans in a way and tour the country for a few weeks just playing in peoples living rooms. Maybe I should do that. I’m gonna get on that

Kale: Has it been difficult, or easy for you to hone your craft?

Jesse: It has been the most challenging thing in my life, and I expect it to continue to be. You know how people say its really awkward to hear yourself when you hear your voice recorded. It’s that experience all the time.  For some reason, I keep asking for more though… more punishment. My gut wants to go after it, and no matter how many times I try to stop, I can’t.

Kale: What upcoming shows can fans see live?

Jesse: My next gig is at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles on August 15^th. It’s gonna be a good one. Full band, some more members, it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

Kale: I heard about your live-stream shows, any upcoming events with them?

Jesse: Ya gotta keep checkin my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Sometimes I like to just get on USTREAM and play some songs right there – or stream what we’re doing in the studio. Nothing “scheduled” per say – but a lot of fun to whip out of no where.

Kale: The tone of your music is gentle and soothing. Peaceful music. Did you always have that feeling in your sound?

Jesse: Hmmm. I guess. Honestly, I’m trying to instill a little more ‘fight’ into my music, with that familiar alt-americana ease. So we’ll see what happens. I’m glad you find it to be soothing. I never find “NOW I KNOW” to be soothing – that’s a tough one. Even LOVE IS ANOTHER DRUG is a soothing instrumentation, but the content is a bit tough. I like to play with the paradox of melancholy lyric and ease of instrumentation.

Kale: Can we expect any big cross-country tours in the future?

Jesse: Man do I hope so. We’ll see what happens… for now, just keep telling your friends and we’ll see.

Kale – Thank you, it’s been a real pleasure and I look forward to future interviews.

Jesse – THANK YOU!

Check out Jesse Macht on Facebook.. click here

Welcome to another edition of “8 Questions with….”,an ongoing interactive interview series with excellent and creative folks who inhabit my MySpace page.

Way back when I first started this series, I had some hit and misses with my invites to folks to talk. While I sent out many interview requests, it was hard getting folks to agree to talk with me. I had a lot of “who are you again”? and “why do you want to interview me”? and in Matt Eaton’s case…I got crickets. But as the series has grown and level of interviews have gotten stronger, I haven’t forgotten those wanted I wanted to talk with in the beginning….like Matt Eaton.

Matt is a guitar player from Texas…his playing is at a different level then most. Taking a look at his Top Friend’s page and you can see where he wants to be. He has all the masters of the guitar listed as friends…Steve Vai, Larry Carlton and Carlos Santana are among his friends. Listening to his 3 songs Matt has listed on his page and you can how much love and ability the man has. Like I have mentioned before,many times I will go to a musician’s page and let the music play as a background as I write my blog or a article for someone else. Matt is one of my favorites to play when I do this.

So while you’re reading this interview,crack open another window,bring up Matt’s page and rock out a bit while discover a little bit about the man behind the guitar. Then perhaps add him as a pal…

And now,8 Questions with……………guitarist Matt Eaton.

comments and new subscribers are always welcome!

What drives you to make music?

ME: I think that every person is born with music in his or her very spirit. The Bible states that…before the firmament around the atmosphere shattered and fell…you could hear the stars singing. Scientifically…that would be possible…the firmament being a thin globe of crystal ice around the planet several miles above the surface. Every star in the heavens emits a radio wave frequency. To have been able to hears the heavens’ chorus must have been amazing! I believe that a person’s spirit also resonates at a certain frequency. We each have our own frequency with which we feel most spiritually comfortable. I know that this may sounds bizarre…to some. Recently…I learned that John McLaughlin has studied this and believes this as well.

Some people never have the opportunity to cultivate that. Some just don’t wish to…for whatever reason. I was just fortunate enough to be able to follow that and let my spirit harmonize with the frequency that I felt in me.

So…it’s not really a matter of something ‘driving me’ to make music. It is more that I am attempting to exist in harmony with my correct frequency. Of course…many things in life can interfere with that. For many of us the most obtrusive being the ‘day job’…ha-ha.

Do you have a routine before playing a live show, if so, what is it?

ME: Other than making sure that my nails are cut way short…let’s see…I usually make sure that I greet the person(s) doing sound and discuss things. As far as what I personally do for pre-show routine; I make sure I am drinking plenty of water but usually do not eat anything heavy. I’ll maybe have a protein bar or bag of peanuts with an orange juice. Of course…I tune my guitars…and then stretch my forearms then each finger separately. Sometimes I massage my fingers each in turn. Always remove my shoes…and then usually pray. I cannot play as well at all with shoes on. (Or live as well with them on…for that matter. I HATE shoes.) If I have enough time…I will light incense. Some venues prefer that you don’t. That’s fine.

What is the biggest difference between instrumental music and a band besides not having
vocals?

ME: The freedom. When you have vocals…the music then becomes structured for the vocals or lyrics. Not always…but that is the norm. Instrumental music is freedom to move around or break into a new direction at any point without having looks from a member who is now standing center stage wondering what the rest of the band is doing…ha-ha.

Also…the challenge in instrumental music is to relate the same emotion through the music…but without lyrics. This leaves the listener free to create the lyrical pictures using his/her own imagination. To me…it becomes more personal when the listener can relate whatever the musical emotion is to his/her own imagination or circumstance.

What makes you happier, playing live or teaching a new student?

ME: Definitely playing live…although I’m not playing live much these days either. Kind of laying low for a while and piecing together a home studio, which is taking forever! I do not have students at the moment.

What 3 guitar players influenced you the most and how so?

ME: Only three!?! Hmmm. I guess I should relate this to when I was first learning to play. (40 years ago) I won’t be able to keep it to just 3 though…ha-ha…sorry.

Carlos Santana was the first guitarist that I remember hearing whose playing ignited my desire to seriously learn how to play the instrument. Before that, I was just ‘air guitaring’ like every other kid and plunking along by ear with records. It was his tone and the way he added a bit of jazzy stuff in there…it just resonated in my spirit. Still does.

Hendrix of course. What could I say that hasn’t been said? Passion.

Frank Marino has always been a great influence. Not many players even knew who he was when I started listening to Mahogany Rush way back when. His energy is still fantastic. I saw him play a few months ago and he jammed for 3 straight hours! Only did 3 or 4 actual songs in that whole time. The rest was just jamming! Just fantastic!

Ritchie Blackmore. I read an interview with him in Guitar Player Magazine way back in the 70′s in which he talked about the mathematics of the fretboard . He also spoke about a simple little something that…when I put into practice…totally opened up my playing and gave me so much more speed that I could not believe I had been missing it. He said to ‘use your little finger.’ Since then…I have noticed how many guitarists…even really good ones…just leave that little finger hanging out there in space and only use it for special occasions.

Michael Schenker was a big influence as far as trying to learn to be more ‘stylish’ in my playing…as well as Jeff Beck and John McLaughlin. Of course when EVH hit…all jaws were on the floor…ha-ha.

There were and are so many others. It changes from year to year and grows. You can see them in my MySpace friends.

Does your town have a good/bad music scene? What makes it that way?

ME: That depends on personal opinion really…and on what you like. In Dallas/Ft Worth…if you play blues…you’re in…although it’s pretty much a clique that you have to be accepted into once you prove yourself to be ‘worthy’…ha. If you play country…you can play pretty much anywhere.

There seems to be a trend toward ‘tribute’ bands that is becoming quite nauseating to many artists in D/FW. I think it may be just an inspiration issue…or lack of inspiration. (?) There are a few pretty good ones though…actually. There is still a hidden metal scene…although the venues have dwindled down to very few that will accept metal…especially original stuff. I went to a Nightwish concert in Dallas a while back that affirmed to me that the fans are still there. More to blame than anything for a lack-luster music scene in D/FW or in Texas period…are the lame excuses for radio stations here. Not one (even if they say they do) plays any new music in rotation from any artist who is still doing metal. (Excuse me…but AC/DC is getting old…and they are just ‘rock’ anyway.) If you hear an actual metal song on the radio…it will be from 1985. HELLO…they are still making new music. Why aren’t you playing the music they are making now? Oldies-oldies-oldies. Crap-crap-crap. There is no good metal radio here. It is all sold-out, corporate crap. (Do I sound bitter? Ha-ha) Yet…there are a couple of promoters/venues that are bringing great metal shows to D/FW.

As far as instrumental guitar music…that has always been hard to sell to venues. You usually have to take an opener slot…which is fine with me because I can take my time setting up…preparing and getting familiar with the atmosphere of the venue. The older you get…the less you like to be hurried…ha-ha.

Why do you think people are buying less music today then ever before?

ME: See answer above regarding radio. There are other factors for sure. Internet has totally changed things…and the free downloading and sharing of music (pirating) is making it next to impossible for non major label artists to make a living at it. This is destroying the motivation of many artists to even release music anymore. More importantly…it destroys the income that allows an independent artist to afford to record the music in a professional manner or bring good shows to our cities. One CD is sold. That person makes 6 copies for friends who don’t pay a thing for it. The artist just was cheated out of 6 sales that may have paid the water bill that month. More free downloads=less artist revenue=less music available=higher prices…etc. Which brings us to the next question.

Major concerts are highly overpriced; many shows haven’t even come close to selling out…what would you do to fix this problem?

ME: I’m not really sure that anyone can ‘fix the problem’ at this point. IMHO…I have to say that…many shows would sell out if promoters and radio stations would support the artists by advertising the concerts…but radio stations seem to have ‘sold out’ and most promoters are barely able to afford to pay the venue rental…insurance…permits…licensing fees…etc.

Ticket sales seem high because the artists have to be able to make enough money to pay for travel…equipment…union help…food…costuming…set decoration…sound…lights…and of the the $40 and $50 t-shirt price…the artist only gets a small portion. If you are independent…you can come out a lot better on the merchandise sales…CD sales…etc…but venues and promoters have their expenses as well.

I don’t think that there really is ‘a fix’ for the way things are going. I do think that it is best to remain as independent and in control of your own art and direction as possible.

How has MySpace helped you the most?

ME: Exposure to the rest of the world in a way that would not or could not happen by simply placing a website out there. MySpace is a community of people looking to network…for many reasons other than music as well…but music being the main focus I think. I have found many wonderful progressive power metal bands that I did not know existed. I have found many new age and jazz artists that I had never heard. I have also found old friends from the past and new friends around the world. For all of the bad publicity that MySpace has been subject to…I think it was and is a wonderful idea.

To add Matt Eaton as a friend:
www.myspace.com/matteatonguitar

Welcome to another edition of “8 Questions with…..” an ongoing interactive interview series featuring the folks who share my MySpace page. With Wendy (our beloved,sexy and wholesome publisher)’s permission I am posting these interviews just as they were posted on my MySpace page.

I love indie music stores…the smells, the hard to find CDs no one has anymore,the old concert posters, the free zines at the front door and the clerks who make Kat Von D look like a poser but upon a closer peek are floating Avengers and Germ buttons.

Back in San Jose, I used to shop a store called Streetlight Records. The first store was small but the bargain bin was always great and the store was ALWAYS busy. Streetlight then moved into a much bigger area and it really took off! In-store performances and even better prices and selections. My favorite employee was a great guy named Craig,when he was working I would come in and we start ragging each other but good. The insults about my schedule at Marsugi’s and his band playing covers at some weak Los Gatos meat market would fill the air. Customers thought we would be coming to blows and clear out…then one of us would hit a good zinger,the other guy would laugh and then we hug and catch up with each other. Try doing that in a Best Buy!

The other thing I loved was when I was hunting in the 2.99 and below section…I would score such great deals about bands I read about in Flipside or MMR. Craig would come from behind, snatch the 6-7 CDs from hand and yell “Spend some fucking money in the new section”…it always made me laugh. Many of times I can recall walking up with those 6-7 CDs and end up paying for 5,thanks to Craig. I always had zines waiting for me to pick up as well……such was life at a indie store.

Which brings me to Ryan and Galaxy CDs. I asked for a Friends Request knowing this was someone I wanted to interview very much…especially in the light of the various chains like Tower Records and many of the Detroit area indie stores closing shop. How does one stay in business and thrive in such a hostile enviroment?

So when I requested this interview,I tried hard to ask the many burning questions that I feel you should know the answers to.

Hope you enjoy!

1. How long has Galaxy CDs been in business?

Since June of 2000, made it a lot longer than I think a lot of folks thought we would. I’m a stubborn s.o.b.
2. What led you to start a indy music store?

I’ve always been a huge music fan and collector, dating back to being in middle school in the late 70′s, lord I’m old. I managed a small chain of cd stores in Columbus Ohio in the late 80′s, and while the pay sucked, it was the best job I’d ever had. What more could you ask for than to work around music all day, talk about it with others, and get paid, even if it wasn’t much?

I got married and life kind of changed, I took progressively better jobs in ‘corporate’ retail, which paid great, but were just not rewarding. I finally reached a point in 2000 where I realized I had the financial ability to give owning my own business a shot, and felt that if I didn’t do it then I likely never would, so I pulled the trigger.

They say to do something for a living you’d do for free, and this is it for me. I was fortunate to some extent to live in a medium sized city that didn’t offer anything like this, so we were able to be viable immediately.
3. How can indy music stores stay in business in today’s hyper-competitive market?

Indie shops are thriving by doing a lot of things the big shops won’t. We’re a community center, we have a big comfy couch right up front where people can come in and just hang out and talk and listen to music. We carry vinyl records, something you just won’t see at the big chain stores. While we certainly aren’t big enough to compete always on price with a company that wants to offer cds at below wholesale, we do offer a much deeper selection, and carry types of music that a Best Buy or Wal Mart just won’t touch. You won’t find Behemoth or Cannibal Corpse over there for example.
4. Why should someone shop your store instead of the local Best Buy or Virgin Superstore?

Because we’re cooler than they are! I have customers all the time that say to me “I’d rather pay a dollar more here and give it to you, then add another dollar to a company like Wal Mart.”

Because, as mentioned above, we’ll offer things they won’t have. We have people in the store that actually know what the hell they’re talking about, and will help you find what your looking for. I have people call me on their cell phones from their cars to listen to a song playing on the radio they want but can’t identify, people that come in and sing to us, or people that know 1 line from a song they heard 10 years ago they want to find. We’ll do it for them, figure out what they want, and get it for them Try pulling something like that at Best Buy. They’ll look at you like you’ve got 3 heads.
5.How important are local bands/musicians to your store?

Not as important as we’d like frankly. We have probably 600 local band cds on hand accumulated over the 7 odd years we’ve been doing this, but probably don’t sell more than a handful a month. I could probably count on my two hands the number of local bands that have sold more than a dozen cds via our store.

It’s a great thing to offer, but the reality is most people coming in have no idea who or what these cds are. Most local artists sell the majority of their cds at their shows. It’s great for them to be able to say “hey, if you’d rather buy an extra beer tonight you can get our new cd at Galaxy CDS” but unfortunately it just doesn’t translate into significant sales.
6. What are the 5 greatest changes (good or bad) that you have seen since starting up?

1 and 2: I-Tunes and the I-Pod are clearly the biggest thing to hit the music business, probably since the cd. It’s changing fundamentally how people listen to and buy music. There’s always going to be a place I think for someone that wants to purchase a physical good, hell we sell a lot of vinyl which is about as retro as you can get, but there’s a segment of the population that will never again buy a cd.

3. The internet in general, which as I mentioned has had both positive and negative impacts on the music industry.

4. The consolodation of the major labels. I believe this has been a disaster for the industry, it’s severely limited the number of artists that can get signed and offered to the public in a broad way. They have become increasingly reliant on the megahit, while simultaneously failing to develop anyone who can deliver that kind of sales any longer.

5. The dominance of Clear Channel and Ticketmaster. Playlists are smaller, tighter, and more boring than ever before. Fewer artists are being offered to people via conventional media than ever. Ticketmaster and the ridiculous fees they charge have further limited people’s access to seeing live shows.

Most of that is negative I realize, but those are the things that are the root causes, to me, of the current state of the industry. They’ve made it so hard for people who’s primary exposure to music is the mass media to find new artists, that people aren’t buying music. They don’t know what to buy. Hardcore music fans are finding it themselves on the internet, and shopping at stores like ours, but the big boxes music sales and the major labels sales are clearly suffering for it.
7. Will the internet kill the music business?

Certainly not. It may kill off the major label business model, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, but music is too important to too many people’s lives to disappear. We’ve certainly seen where a phenomenon like I-Tunes has cut into the sales of major artists cds, as people just download the song they want rather than buy the cd.

But the flipside is that the internet has made it so much easier for people who want to find new music to identify bands they like. A lot of those folks come to us to get those cds. It’s a rare day when I don’t hear someone ask for a band they heard on MySpace or somewhere else online.
8. How has MySpace helped or hindered your business?

Lol, maybe I should have read ahead…I think MySpace has been a huge boon to our business. It gives me a place to communicate with our customers. It, as I said, exposes people to artists they might not have otherwise ever heard of. It gives us another avenue to be a part of the music community, and to participate with our customers.

9. What would you say if someone offered to buy Galaxy CDs from you today?

How much you got? Lol, honestly, my shop is probably too small to attract enough cash for me to retire in my 40′s, so I’d thank them for their interest, then pass. I’ve already had a ‘real’ job, I don’t have any desire to go back to one if I can avoid it.
10. What do you look for in hiring a employee to work for you?

Someone I’ve seen in my shop on a regular basis. I get people all the time that come in and ask for a job that I’ve never seen set foot in my store. Why would I hire that person when I’ve got another kid that’s been coming in here 3 times a week for years?

I look for someone that I’ve never heard say something like “rap sucks” or “metal sucks” or whatever. You may not like all types of music, but if you want to work in a record store you have to at least appreciate it and understand it. You can’t make me money running all my hip hop fans or whoever out the door by telling them what they like sucks.

Lastly I look for someone that seems trustworthy. I’m basically handing that person my future, giving them my wallet and keys and saying “here ya go man, don’t screw me”.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to find people that meet all those criteria, I hope they never graduate from college.

11. What 3 artists have completely blown you away since opening your store?

I’ll put a plug in for Equal Vision Records here, they’re a small label that has yet to put out a cd I didn’t just love. They have never disappointed me with a release. That said, here’s 3 bands I’ve been diggin:

Stateless A newer band from England, kind of a mix of Coldplay and Portishead. Terrific stuff.

Isis Terrific slightly sludgy metal outfit, just love these guys.

Dear and the Headlights Killer indie pop band.
12. Why is your town cool?

Because my store is in it! Actually, it’s cool because it’s supported us over the years, and as one of the kids who comes in all the time always tells me, “I’m just here to help you live the dream man.” That they’ve done, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

To add Ryan as a friend or support a cool indie music store,go here:
www.myspace.com/galaxycds